Spells in Dark Souls III are items that unleash various magical effects when cast. They can be bought, sold, and found throughout the world, much like other, regular items. Spells can be:
Attuning Spells
All spells need to be attuned (i.e. equipped) at a Bonfire, before they can be used in combat. Attuning a spell requires free Attunement Slots, which can be unlocked by raising the Attunement attribute when leveling up.
Casting Spells
Casting a spell requires an appropriate Spell Tool, as well as sufficient Focus Points, Intelligence and Faith.
Casting and Movement
Certain spells can be cast whilst moving. These are:
- Blinding Light [*]
- Farron Dart [*]
- Great Farron Dart [*]
- Farron Flashsword [*]
- Soul Wave [*]
- Soul Focus
- Twisted Wall of Light [*]
- Fire Surge
- Cataclysm
- Earthfall
- Floating Chaos
- Iron Flesh
- Power Within
- Profuse Sweat
- Rapport
- Rockflesh
- Sacred Flame
- Warmth
- Heave Earth
- Lightning Arrow
- Force
- Inner Fervor
- Perseverance
- Way of White Corona [*]
- Wrath of the Gods
- Deep Barb [*]
- Surging Deep
- Dreg Torrent
- Recollection
- Nibble [*]
- Gnaw
- Dorhys' Gnawing
- Devouring Swarm
[*] Unique animation while walking including sprinting and rolling attacks.
Casting Speed
Casting Speed in Cinders starts from 1 Dexterity and caps at 99. Some equipment may help boost this, these are:
- Witchtree Branch - Staff that grants +25 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed.
- Saint-tree Bellvine - Chime that grants +25 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed.
- Hexer's Robes - Armor piece that grants +20 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed.
- Ordained Dress - Armor piece that grants +20 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed.
- Sage Ring - Grants +25~40 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed.
- Ring of Londor - Grants +25 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed whilst at 100% HP.
- Violet Tearstone Ring - Grants +50 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed whilst below 25% HP.
- Hunter's Ring - Grants +5 Dexterity.
- Wolf Knight Gauntlets - Grants +5 Dexterity.
- Vine Balm - Grants +10 Dexterity for 5 minutes.
- Soul of Sister Friede - Grants +50 pseudo-Dexterity to improve casting speed for 60 seconds.
Spell Scaling
These are the general rules of spell damage scaling for spell types:
- Sorceries and Dark Sorceries scale with Intelligence.
- Miracles and Dark Miracles scale with Faith.
- Pyromancies and Dark Pyromancies scale with both Intelligence and Faith.
- Physical Pyromancies (e.g. Earthquake) and Physical Miracles (e.g. Emit Force) do not scale from Luck.
- Healing Miracles (e.g. Med Heal) do not scale from Luck.
Refer to the Spell Tools list for their scalings.
Using battle art abilities like Steady Chant, Chant from the Depths and Awakening will benefit spells casted from another catalyst. e.g. Crystallization from the Sage's Crystal Staff and then casting spells with a Crystal Chime will increase the damage of Crystal Soul Spear.
Spell buff
Spell Buff is a multiplier applied to your spell's base value. The easiest way to see this in the healing miracles, where the base value is unaffected by other variables.
Consider the miracle Heal Aid. It has a base value of 100. Let's say you are using a Talisman with a Spell Buff of 150.
To apply your Spell Buff, divide the value by 100 and then multiply the base value of Heal Aid with your result.
$FinalValue = (SpellBuff / 100) \cdot Base Value$
For our example, this would be (150 / 100) * 100, resulting in 150 HP healed.
However, your actual Spell Buff value is not just the Spell Buff listed for your weapon. It is modified by the amount of INT/FTH you have (depending on the tool) and by the level of reinforcement the tool has.
Spell Uses
The following spells have limited uses:
- Repair (5 uses)
- Heal Aid (20 uses)
- Heal (15 uses)
- Med Heal (10 uses)
- Great Heal (5 uses)
- Soothing Sunlight (5 uses)
- Projected Heal (20 uses)
- Replenishment (5 uses)
- Bountiful Light (5 uses)
- Bountiful Sunlight (5 uses)
- Tears of Denial (5 uses)
Use count is restored upon resting at a Bonfire.
They gain unlimited uses when Ascended.
Ascended Spells
Many spells are considered 'Ascended' when you hit 80 in a specific stat. This grants them additional effects or attributes over the base version.
- Sorceries and Dark Sorceries, they ascend at 80 Intelligence.
- Pyromancies ascend at 80 Intelligence.
- Rock Pyromancies ascend at 80 Strength.
- Dark Pyromancies ascend at 80 Faith.
- Miracles and Dark Miracles ascended at 80 Faith.
Information here is accurate for version 1.65.
