Resistances are a displayed on the Character Screen. They are numerical values that can resist a percentage of damage from the four elemental attacks: Fire, Cold, Lightning, and Poison.

For example, if a character's Fire resistance is 12, all incoming Fire damage the player receives is reduced by 12%.

Increasing ResistancesEdit

In order to gain resistances, the player must equip  items that grant the character an elemental resistances. In most cases, only magical items grant resistance; however, certain class-specific items like the Paladin's shields and the Necromancer's Shrunken Heads may have innate mods that grant resistances. The Paladin Shields increase all resistances, while the Shrunken Heads give the Necromancer Poison resistance.

The Paladin and Barbarian have an advantage when it comes to resistances. The Paladin's Resist Fire, Resist Cold, Resist Lightning and Salvation Auras can help him increase his and his party's resistances temporarily. The Barbarian has the skill Natural Resistance to increase his own resistances permanently.

Resistances can also be permanently increased by a Scroll of Resistance created by powerful healers like Malah in Harrogath. In Diablo II, it increases all resistances by 10.

Minimum ResistanceEdit

A character's base resistance varies with each difficulty:

For Diablo II:

• Normal: 0
• Nightmare: -25
• Hell: -50

For Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, the penalty was increased:

• Normal: 0
• Nightmare: -40
• Hell: -100

Having a negative resistance value increases the amount of damage a character or creature receives.

The Paladin's Conviction Aura and Necromancer's Lower Resist Curse can also lower resistances by a set amount. The lowest value of all resistances is -100.

Maximum ResistanceEdit

A character's default maximum resistance value is 75%, although certain Unique items and the Paladin's Resistance aura synergies can raise that number as high as 95%, the cap for resistances. Therefore, a character can never become totally immune to elemental attacks with resistance alone. However, with the help of integer absorb effects, (not percentage absorb effects) a character can reduce elemental damage to zero, or even heal from it.

Elemental ResistancesEdit

There are 4 types of elemental resistances a player can acquire:

• Fire
• Cold (Reduces damage taken and freeze duration.)
• Lightning
• Poison (Reduces damage taken and poison duration.)

AbsorptionEdit

Absorption is a special modifier that's closely related to resistances and can greatly enhance them. See its article for more information.