Weapon Buff (Dark Souls II)

A weapon buff is a temporary effect in Dark Souls II that can be applied to an equipped weapon by using certain spells or consumable items.

General Information

"Weapon Buff" is a community term for any Spell / Item / Weapon Move that grants a weapon a temporary increase in Damage. They universally add an aura / particle effects onto the weapon.

Every Dark Souls game has had this feature but Dark Souls II has a unique formula for applying them.

Formula

The following formula can be used to calculate the total attack rating (AR) added to a weapon by a weapon buff. It applies to all sources of weapon buffs except for the Bewitched Alonne Sword.

$$bAR=(bMod*(bFlat+wScale*eBNS+wBase*wMod))+MatchBNS$$

Where:

• bAR is the Total Attack Rating added by the buff.
• bMod is the Buff AR Multiplier (multiplies the total).
• bFlat is a flat amount of elemental AR the applied buff gives.
• wScale is the weapon’s default elemental scaling even if disabled currently.
• eBNS is the character’s elemental bonus for the damage type.
• wBase is the weapon’s base damage AR for the element, even when not present currently.
• wMod is the weapon’s Base AR Multiplier for the current infusion (how well it takes to it).
• MatchBNS is a bonus to AR when elements match between weapon and Buff.
  • MatchBNS is calculated differently if the element is innate or not.
  • Clutch Rings and similar scaling rings add a small amount of AR to Buffs.
  • Bewitched Alonne Sword's buff simply multiplies scaling x1.6.

Table of Values

Buff	bFlat	bMod	Element	Type
Magic Weapon	30	0.15	Magic	Spell
Great Magic Weapon	30	0.2	Magic	Spell
Crystal Magic Weapon	15	0.3	Magic	Spell
Sunlight Blade	15	0.3	Lightning	Spell
Flame Weapon	15	0.2	Fire	Spell
Dark Weapon	15	0.3	Dark	Spell
Resonant Weapon 100 %	0	0.35	Dark	Spell
Resonant Weapon >75%	0	0.3	Dark	Spell
Resonant Weapon ≥40%	0	0.15	Dark	Spell
Resonant Weapon <40%	0	0.1	Dark	Spell
Resonant Weapon 0	0	0.1	Dark	Spell
Defender Greatsword	70	0.5	Lightning	Weapon
Watcher Greatsword	10	0.7	Magic	Weapon
Possessed Armor Sword	50	0	Fire	Weapon
Aromatic Ooze	40	0.2	Magic	Item
Dark Pine Resin	40	0.2	Dark	Item
Gold Pine Resin	40	0.2	Lightning	Item
Charcoal Pine resin	40	0.2	Fire	Item
Rotten Pine Resin	20	0.5	Poison	Item
Bleeding Serum	20	0.5	Bleed	Item
Bewitched Alonne Sword	Scaling x1.6			Weapon

Resources

Link to a datasheet that can calculate AR added by weapon buffs to any weapon at any stat spread https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13jo9pauD_Ja_QQQxTXReFAFqHECn_h3RhscUY6KEo8E/edit?usp=sharing