Weapon scaling decides how much extra damage a weapon gets from your attributes. Each weapon shows a letter grade, from E up to S, for every stat it scales with, and the higher the grade, the more that stat boosts the weapon’s attack power.
What scales with what
Weapons can scale with Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Faith or Arcane. Scaling affects:
- Attack power.
- Sorcery and incantation scaling on staves and sacred seals.
- Poison, blood loss, sleep and madness buildup, if the weapon scales with Arcane.
Scaling does not change poise damage or stamina damage.
What the letter grades mean
The letter is only a rough guide. Behind it sits a hidden number, and each letter covers a range:
| Grade | Hidden scaling value |
|---|---|
| E | under 0.25 |
| D | 0.25 – 0.5999 |
| C | 0.6 – 0.8999 |
| B | 0.9 – 1.3999 |
| A | 1.4 – 1.75 |
| S | over 1.75 |
The bonus damage is roughly the scaling value times the weapon’s base damage times a stat factor that grows as you level the stat. That is why a weapon with a lower base damage but a higher grade does not automatically gain more from your stats. Both numbers matter.
Requirements and the penalty
Most weapons have a minimum requirement in each stat they scale with. Fall short and that stat gives no scaling at all, plus a 40% penalty. The Club is a clear example: it has 103 base physical attack and needs 10 Strength. With only 9 Strength it drops to 61.
Diminishing returns by stat level
The stat factor does not rise evenly, and it differs between physical affinities (Standard, Heavy, Keen, Quality and Occult) and non-physical ones:
| Stat level | Physical affinity | Non-physical affinity |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 15 | 19 |
| 20 | 35 | 40 |
| 30 | 46.5 | 53 |
| 40 | 57.5 | 66.5 |
| 50 | 67.5 | 80 |
| 60 | 75 | 85 |
| 70 | 82.5 | 90 |
| 80 | 90 | 95 |
| 90 | 92.5 | 97.5 |
| 99 | 96 | 100 |
For physical affinities, the biggest jump comes between 10 and 20, then the gains shrink step by step, and past 80 they slow to a crawl. Non-physical affinities (Fire, Flame Art, Lightning, Sacred, Magic, Cold, Blood and Poison) climb more steadily up to 50, reaching a level physical affinities only hit near 70, before slowing down sharply.
Staves and seals
Spell tools use their own curves. Staves and seals that scale with one stat start strong, get stronger after 25 and again after 60, then fall off hard after 80. Tools that scale with two stats start weak, shoot up between 15 and 30, and then gains become small after 45. The Prince of Death’s Staff is an exception: it scales with both Intelligence and Faith but uses the one-stat curve, so it needs a lot of both. The Demi-Human Queen’s Staff does the reverse of a normal staff, scaling very well below 20 Intelligence and worse after that.
Raising scaling
Upgrading a weapon raises its scaling. Weapons upgraded with Somber Smithing Stones, like the Somber Smithing Stone [9], gain 8% of their base scaling per level, while normal weapons gain 2%. Infusing a weapon with a new affinity through an Ash of War changes both base damage and scaling, and there is no single rule for how, so compare the numbers in the menu before committing.
When planning a build, combine this page with the Stats section and remember that a Rebirth lets you move points if your scaling plan changes.